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The differences between contract attorneys and document review attorneys can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a contract attorney and a document review attorney. Additionally, a contract attorney has an average salary of $97,474, which is higher than the $81,181 average annual salary of a document review attorney.
The top three skills for a contract attorney include litigation, e-discovery and legal research. The most important skills for a document review attorney are litigation, complex litigation, and e-discovery software.
| Contract Attorney | Document Review Attorney | |
| Yearly salary | $97,474 | $81,181 |
| Hourly rate | $46.86 | $39.03 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 13,592 | 9,393 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Doctoral Degree, 57% | Doctoral Degree, 60% |
| Average age | 46 | 46 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
A contract attorney is responsible for handling their clients' legal issues and settling cases by researching, analyzing, and collecting essential files that would support the clients' claims. Contract attorneys usually work for private clients without being permanently employed in a law firm or government agency. Contract attorneys represent clients at court, assist with law proceedings, and advise clients for the necessary legal procedures. A contract attorney must have excellent communication and critical-thinking skills to manage client legal matters and expertise in traditional disciplines and processes.
A Document Review Attorney reviews various types of legal documents, such as contract and employment law, intellectual property, and commercial litigation, to identify any areas of risk or information that may need correction.
Contract attorneys and document review attorneys have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Contract Attorney | Document Review Attorney | |
| Average salary | $97,474 | $81,181 |
| Salary range | Between $60,000 And $158,000 | Between $48,000 And $134,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Ramon, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Perkins Coie | Cooley |
| Best paying industry | - | Professional |
There are a few differences between a contract attorney and a document review attorney in terms of educational background:
| Contract Attorney | Document Review Attorney | |
| Most common degree | Doctoral Degree, 57% | Doctoral Degree, 60% |
| Most common major | Law | Law |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between contract attorneys' and document review attorneys' demographics:
| Contract Attorney | Document Review Attorney | |
| Average age | 46 | 46 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 50.9% Female, 49.1% | Male, 56.7% Female, 43.3% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 5.5% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 7.7% Asian, 6.3% White, 75.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% | Black or African American, 5.6% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 7.8% Asian, 6.4% White, 75.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% |
| LGBT Percentage | 10% | 10% |